Federal lawsuit over 18-year-old's death in El Paso County jail 'filed to send a message'

The family of an 18-year-old who died by suicide in the El Paso County jail filed a lawsuit in federal court Monday against the former health care provider for the jail. 

Dezaree Archuleta's mother, Shelly Romero, said Monday on the steps of a courthouse in Denver that she wanted to see justice for her daughter, who deserved a chance at life.  

"She was very caring — loved her family with everything that she had," Romero said. Romero was accompanied by her daughters Ciarra Romero, Shayla Romero and daughter-in-law Araceli Romero. 

Archuleta died by suicide in the jail on June 9, 2022, after asking to see a psychiatrist and several egregious acts of self harm, according to the lawsuit. She was one of 11 people to die in the jail in 2022. 

The suit against Wellpath, a national company, and individual employees seeks policy changes and training to prevent further deaths, among other damages. El Paso County replaced Wellpath as its healthcare provider with VitalCore in January. 

"This lawsuit is filed to send a message to Wellpath and other private medical providers across the country that putting profits over people is unacceptable — that looking for high revenue, rather than providing high quality health care, is reprehensible and we will do everything in our power to hold them accountable in this instance," said Andrew McNulty, an attorney for the family.  

The El Paso County Board of Commissioners voted in February to settle potential lawsuits over Archuleta's death for $1 million.

The recently filed case described the severe nature of Archuleta's mental health symptoms. 

At one point during the 23 days she spent in the jail before her death, she gouged her thighs 30 times with a screw. She also punched herself in the face until she bled. 

An employee for Wellpath repeatedly removed Archuleta from suicide watch, at one point handing her pamphlets and telling her to use her coping skills, the case states. The employee was a licensed marriage and family therapist working for Wellpath. 

She was also not provided access to a psychiatrist or medications that she requested, McNulty said. 

She died an hour after reporting thoughts of suicide and visual and auditory hallucination, the case said. She hanged herself from a metal grate in her cell. 

It was so clear Archuleta needed to be on suicide watch, the case said,  El Paso County deputies questioned the decision making of the Wellpath employees. 

El Paso County jail has made changes since Archuleta's death and the impassioned public outcry for change that followed. The jail also made changes to address the steep rise in inmate against inmate violence. 

As part of those changes, the jail removed grates, like the one Archuleta used, with woven mesh, the Gazette reported previously. 

Romero said she hoped the jail was getting better, but does not trust anything that has to do with them.